Statement of belief adopted at the First Ecumenical Council in 325
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In this series, Canon Maxwell leads a conversation about the central elements Christian faith as set forth in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. Using Rowan Williams' book, “Tokens of Trust,” Canon Maxwell will address questions like: What does it mean to believe in God? Can God possibly be almighty in the midst of so much evil and suffering? How am I to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ's ministry and resurrection? To what purpose is the church called? And what does it mean to follow Christ in today's broken world?
Many Christians find it hard to see the papacy in the first-century Church. In this episode, Erick Ybarra addresses the historical and biblical foundations for the papal office. Was Peter truly the first pope? How did early Christians view his authority? And what evidence do we have from Scripture and tradition that connects the leadership of Peter to the role of today's pope? Join The CA Live Club Newsletter: Click Here Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 12:33 – I struggle with not seeing the papacy in the first century. Can you help clarify where we see it? 18:30 – How close have we ever gotten to the pope who was the minimal requirement, a male baptized Catholic? 22:32 – Regarding his debate with Ubi Petrus. Do you have clarification from one of your questions from the debate? 35:29 – How is it ok that we added the filioque to the Nicene creed? Didn’t the Nicene Creed have a clause that not one word could be changed? 42:09 – How do you think the Church balances separating itself from being too political and how it’s done that historically? 48:24 – How closely do we tie our belief in Christ to our belief in the Church? If the pope were to dogmatically declare heresy, would it invalidate the magisterium? 52:06 – What do you think about the passages in First Clement where he says the Holy Spirit is writing/speaking through him? Is this evidence of papal infallibility?
In this series, Canon Maxwell leads a conversation about the central elements Christian faith as set forth in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. Using Rowan Williams' book, “Tokens of Trust,” Canon Maxwell will address questions like: What does it mean to believe in God? Can God possibly be almighty in the midst of so much evil and suffering? How am I to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ's ministry and resurrection? To what purpose is the church called? And what does it mean to follow Christ in today's broken world?
Send us a textIn his lifetime, John Chrysostom witnessed the true beginning of Christendom: the Emperor Theodosius confirmed the public standing of Christianity over that of paganism and delivered a final knockout blow to Arian heresy in favor of Nicene orthodoxy. But a religion on the upswing can attract opportunistic and ill-informed converts. Jonathan and Ryan look at Chrysostom's advice on the bringing-up of children, and the ways in which the Greek Father uses pagan tropes - Greco-Roman hero cults, wrestling, statuary - to cajole new converts into dropping their pagan habits.Richard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnOJaspreet Singh Boparai's The Man Who Translated the Bible Into Latin: https://antigonejournal.com/2021/10/saint-jerome/New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
In this series, Canon Maxwell leads a conversation about the central elements Christian faith as set forth in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. Using Rowan Williams' book, “Tokens of Trust,” Canon Maxwell will address questions like: What does it mean to believe in God? Can God possibly be almighty in the midst of so much evil and suffering? How am I to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ's ministry and resurrection? To what purpose is the church called? And what does it mean to follow Christ in today's broken world?
In this series, Canon Maxwell leads a conversation about the central elements Christian faith as set forth in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds. Using Rowan Williams' book, “Tokens of Trust,” Canon Maxwell will address questions like: What does it mean to believe in God? Can God possibly be almighty in the midst of so much evil and suffering? How am I to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ's ministry and resurrection? To what purpose is the church called? And what does it mean to follow Christ in today's broken world?
Questioning the Trinity is like trying to cancel a gym membership—taxing, frustrating, and somehow you end up in worse shape. But why is there such a visceral reaction to even questioning it? In this video, I break down Theological Stockholm Syndrome—how centuries of persecution, dogma, and intellectual investment make the Trinity untouchable for many Christians.Inspired by a video from Ruslan (a rich man's Mike Winger), I explore:
In AD 324 the controversy over Arianism was dividing Emperor Constantine's recently-unified Roman Empire. Constantine had converted a mere decade ago and achieved spectacular success on the battlefield over his rival Licinius , but was dismayed to return and find that the religion and church he had come to love to was torn apart with squabbling, division, and dissensions. So what happened? Did the church realize their need for clarity on the divinity of the Son and come together at Nicea because they knew they had to hammer out these doctrines? Did Alexander and Arius sit down willingly for the good of the church? Nope. Instead of the church leading the way, Emperor Constantine issued an imperial summons to the warring bishops of the East and West, demanding they convene at Nicea. The result of that month long council was the Nicene creed, a creed that has stood the test of time and is the foundational confession of practically all Christian traditions 1700 years later. This happened again under Emperor Theodosius I & II at Constantinople and Ephesus, under Marcian at Chalcedon, under Justinian again at Constantinople, and on and on. This pattern plays out again and again and again. The church wars, divides, errs, and even apostatizes, and the means of correction that God uses is often the State. This causes us Americans to bristle and protest but it is undeniable that the bulk of church reform has been initiated, carried out, and completed at the hand of the sovereign. Perhaps for all of our spirituality and airtight systematic theology we have forgotten the ordinary, practical means that God uses to save, purify, and protect his church. This episode is brought to you by our premier sponsors, Armored Republic and Reece Fund, as well as our Patreon members and donors. You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/rightresponseministries or you can donate at rightresponseministries.com/donate.Today we are going to defend the forgotten and controversial historical pattern that God uses the State to correct his often erring bride. Tune in now.*MINISTRY SPONSORS:*ENTER TO WIN 2 FREE TICKETS TO OUR APRIL 2025 CONFERENCE BY Signing Up For Private Family Bankings Email List1. Email Banking@privatefamilybanking.com2. Use Subject Line: April Ticket Giveaway3. Provide Your Full Name & Contact Phone Number4. Private Family Banking will be in touch for the winner of the tickets.*Private Family Banking*How to Connect with Private Family Banking:1. FREE 20-MINUTE COURSE HERE: https://www.canva.com/design/DAF2TQVcA10/WrG1FmoJYp9o9oUcAwKUdA/view2. Send an email inquiry to chuck@privatefamilybanking.com3. Receive a FREE e-book entitled "How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Outside of Wall Street and Avoid the Coming Banking Meltdown", by going to https://www.protectyourmoneynow.net4. Set up a FREE Private Family Banking Discovery call using this link: https://calendly.com/familybankingnow/30min5. For a Multi-Generational Wealth Planning Guide Book for only $4.99, use this link for my affiliate relationship with "Seven Generations Legacy": https://themoneyadvantage.idevaffiliate.com/13.html*Reece Fund: Christian Capital - Boldly Deployedhttps://www.reecefund.com/*Dominion: Wealth Strategists* is a full-service financial planning and wealth management firm dedicated to putting more money in the hands of the church. With an education focused approach, they will help you take dominion over your finances.https://reformed.money/
Gen. 49:22–26 Job 37:14–24 Mark 4:35–41 Rev. 15:1–8In this message on the attributes of God, our reflections are on the Almighty God. This is one that the Church has really emphasized in our creeds and liturgies. It's the only attribute of God that appears in all three of the ancient creeds we use: the Apostles' and Nicene both begin, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” The Athanasian Creed says, “…the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty..." And so many of our prayers begin with "Almighty God..." Why? We explore from Job 37.
Basil the Great, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, profoundly shaped Christian theology in the 4th century through his defense of the Trinity against Arianism. His work clarified the Holy Spirit's divinity and equal status within the Trinity, influencing the Council of Constantinople's affirmation of Nicene orthodoxy. Basil emphasized the concept of one God in three distinct Persons, contributing terminology and arguments against heresies, like modalism. His articulation of the Holy Spirit as an illuminating power and his use of scripture and tradition solidified his theological contributions. Beyond theology, Basil impacted monastic life and liturgy, leaving a lasting legacy in both Eastern and Western Christian traditions. www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com
This podcast episode introduces the Early Church Fathers, key figures who shaped Christian doctrine. It highlights their roles as theologians, bishops, and scholars who bridged the gap between the apostles and later ecumenical councils. The episode explores various groups, including the Apostolic Fathers, the Ante-Nicene Fathers, the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, and the Syriac Fathers, examining their unique contributions. It emphasizes the importance of these figures in defining orthodoxy, defending against heresies, and providing theological foundations. The podcast also touches upon the linguistic roots of the term "fathers of the faith" and their lasting impact on modern Christian practice. For more in depth teachings check our Academy. www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com
Lukas reads the Apostles, Nicene, Caledonian, and Athenasian Creeds.This is the link to the materials used in for this reading: http://www.prca.org/about/official-standards/creeds/ecumenicalX: @dixiepoliscastEmail: Dixiepolis@protonmail.com
Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley discuss a core doctrine of the Christian faith; Christology.Questions Covered in This Episode:What is the common approach to Jesus in our cultural moment?Where should someone start if they want to dive deep into the question of who is Jesus?What about when Colossians 1 calls him the “firstborn?”What are the essentials of Christology?What are the implications of leaning into one of the natures of Jesus?In the creeds (Athanasian, Apostles, Nicene, Chalcedon) they focus on clarifying who, what, and how Christ is. Why this intense focus so early on?How does Christ perfectly fulfill the three offices of prophet, priest, and king?Helpful Definitions:Logos: The word.Σκηνόω: Skénoó: To dwell, to tabernacle, to pitch a tent.Arianism: The false view that Jesus, the Son of God, is the first created being. Πρωτότοκος: Prototokos: First-born, eldest.Communication of Attributes: We communicate from the two natures; the divine nature and the human nature to the one person Jesus Christ. Anything you can say about God you can say about Jesus, anything you can say about humanity, except sin, you can say about Jesus.Docetism: The false belief that Jesus's humanity was a figment or presentation, not a true human nature.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:John 1, Genesis 1, Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2Deep Discipleship“Mere Christianity” by C.S. LewisJoe Rogan Experience #2252 - Wesley Huff“Remaking the World” by Andrew WilsonCreeds:AthanasianApostlesNiceneChalcedon Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteOur Sister Podcasts:The Family Discipleship Podcast | Tiny TheologiansSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchMidwestern Seminary is excited to announce FTC Talks, exclusive conversations with MBTS faculty about ministry related topics. Completely online and FREE, you can sign up for any and all FTC Talks today at mbts.edu/ftctalks to reserve your spot. Join us for talks about women's discipleship, God's heart for the nations, gospel-driven ministry, Spurgeon's pastoral ministry, and how every Christian is a counselor. We hope these conversations will spur you on in your service to the local church and help you connect with even more ministry leaders and friends across the country. Sign up today at mbts.edu/ftctalks.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page. Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.
Doctrine - The Three Early Creeds Apostles Nicene and AthanasianYour support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Although much of Pre-Nicene Christian history has been altered, edited and fabricated there are ten key events that remain true and untarnished. In this episode we view them in the form of an animated timeline covering the years 29 A.D - 382 A.D. Pre-Nicene Christian Ecclesia: https://pre-nicene.org/ The First New Testament: Marcion's Scriptural Canon by Jason D. BeDuhn: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274267157_The_First_New_Testament_Marcion's_Scriptural_Canon_by_Jason_D_BeDuhn Damnatio Memoriae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfdMRWeiM8c Marcionite Church https://www.marcionitechurch.org/ The Very First Bible: https://www.theveryfirstbible.org Episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PreNiceneTV
In this episode of The Good Question Podcast, we take a closer look at The Septuagint, the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew. And who better to walk us through this fascinating topic than Andrew from the Post-Apostolic Church? As a scholar whose YouTube channel is committed to the exploration and study of Christian writings from the pre-Nicene era, The Septuagint is undoubtedly in his realm of expertise – and you'll quickly discover why by joining the discussion… Today, we unpack: How The Septuagint ties into the foundations of Biblical teachings. The origins of The Septuagint, which date back to 250 B.C. How Alexander the Great impacted the Greek language. Want to find out how The Septuagint is related to early Christians and why it was so engrained into Biblical teachings? Then tune in to this episode and join us as we delve into this pivotal text's historical, linguistic, and theological significance – uncovering its lasting impact on Christianity and beyond. You can follow Andrew's channel here for more in-depth insights and discussions on early Christian writings, the pre-Nicene era, and more. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr
When archeologists Philippe Le Bas and William Henry Waddington discovered the ruins of an ancient Christian church in Syria in the 1800's, not only did it contain the world's oldest carved inscription bearing the name of Jesus Christ - they unearthed an unstained memory that the Roman Empire and Judaizers tried to erase from history. Show Notes: Philippe Le Bas and William Henry Waddington, Greek Inscriptions grecques et latines recueillies en Grèce et en Asie Mineure (1870), volume 3, inscription 2558. Minor reference in Gerhard Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, under Synagogue. Also referenced in the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Marcionites, using Le Bas and Waddington as a reference. Modeling the Antiquities Trade in Iraq and Syria (MANTIS) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/projects/mantis Marcionite Christian Church https://www.marcionitechurch.org/ The Very First Bible https://www.theveryfirstbible.org/ Presbyter Chat https://pre-nicene.org/Presbyter-Chat.html
In this episode, we are once again joined by Andrew of the Post-Apostolic Church to discuss Biblical History. Today's topic is fascinating and complex: The Septuagint – the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew… Andrew runs a YouTube channel committed to the exploration and study of Christian writings from the pre-Nicene era. These ancient texts from early Christians provide us with an accurate depiction of what the church was like shortly after the time of Jesus. By diving into this comprehensive commentary handed down from the Apostles, Andrew uncovers groundbreaking knowledge on early Biblical history, educating viewers worldwide. Jump in to explore: What makes The Septuagint so foundational to the Bible's teachings. Why the Old Testament is widely respected across Christianity. How The Septuagint came to be around 250 B.C. The ways that Alexander the Great contributed to the evolution of the Greek Language. How is The Septuagint related to early Christians? Why was it so engrained into Biblical teachings? These are the questions that we will explore in this episode, shedding light on the profound influence of The Septuagint on the early Christian community. Click play to join the conversation! For more in-depth insights and discussions, you can follow Andrew's channel here. Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C
Recorded nearly four years ago at the height of the fake Covid plague, the answer to the question touches on the deadly RNA injections, the monopolized media and the need to decouple from the current fiat regime by using Bitcoin. Did the response stand the test of time? You be the judge. Notes: MarcioniteChurch.org TheVeryFirstBible.org Pre-Nicene.org https://pre-nicene.org/Presbyter-Chat.html Pre-Nicene Free Bookstore https://payhip.com/TheVeryFirstBible Twitter: https://x.com/PreNicene_TV YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@prenicenetv
Send us a textThe REAL History of Nicaea You Never Knew.In an era of doctrinal confusion and church scandals, many believers are questioning the very foundation of Christian faith. Can the Nicene Creed offer clarity and stability?In this episode, we dive deep into the history and significance of the Nicene Creed, established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., which has served as a cornerstone of Christian belief for centuries. We'll unpack its core affirmations about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, exploring how it provides a resilient framework for faith amid modern challenges.But why was the Council of Nicaea so pivotal? Is there biblical support for such councils, or do they risk adding human error to Scripture's sufficiency? Together, we'll examine biblical precedents, such as the early church gatherings in Acts 11 and 15, and look at how councils like Nicaea sought to safeguard Christian doctrine and address critical issues facing the church.From Constantine's political influence to Arius's divisive teachings, we'll trace how the debates and decisions of the Nicene bishops shaped the bedrock of Christian orthodoxy. Join us as we explore the timeless relevance of the Nicene Creed, discovering how it can strengthen and steady us through personal and collective crises of faith.✨Episode Sponsored by Logos Bible Software - The all new Logos is now easier to use and more accessible than ever with monthly plans starting at $9.99. Visit https://www.logos.com/remnant to get started for FREE with an exclusive extended free trial of up to 60-days!
In this episode, we travel back in time to the Pre-Nicene era, a period that spans 250 years – from A.D. 75 to A.D. 325. What makes this such an important time in human history? Many Biblical scholars describe it as a crucial contextual bridge between the Apostles and the Council of Nicea, direct writings from Christians that tell us fascinating details about the early Church… In order to understand the reality of these discoveries, we connect with an expert in this specific timeframe, Andrew of the Post-Apostolic Church. Andrew heads up a fast-growing YouTube channel that delivers the faith and history of Pre-Nicene Christianity in a comprehensive and digestible way. Are you ready to learn more about this critical commentary handed down from the Apostles? Join the conversation now! In this interview, we explore: How the early Church changed after the direct Apostles of Jesus died. The ways that core beliefs have evolved over the past 2,000 years. Methods used to pass teachings down from one generation to the next. To stay connected and continue your journey through early Christian history, follow Andrew's channel here and subscribe for regular updates and insights! Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr
When archeologists Philippe Le Bas and William Henry Waddington discovered the ruins of an ancient Christian church in Syria in the 1800's, not only did it contain the world's oldest carved inscription bearing the name of Jesus Christ - they unearthed an unstained memory that the Roman Empire and Judaizers tried to erase from history. Show Notes: Philippe Le Bas and William Henry Waddington, Greek Inscriptions grecques et latines recueillies en Grèce et en Asie Mineure (1870), volume 3, inscription 2558. Minor reference in Gerhard Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, under Synagogue. Also referenced in the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Marcionites, using Le Bas and Waddington as a reference. Modeling the Antiquities Trade in Iraq and Syria (MANTIS) https://isac.uchicago.edu/research/projects/mantis Marcionite Christian Church https://www.marcionitechurch.org/ The Very First Bible https://www.theveryfirstbible.org/ Presbyter Chat https://pre-nicene.org/Presbyter-Chat.html Mentioned in episode: Deuteronomy 25:12 11If two men are fighting, and the wife of one steps in to rescue her husband from the one striking him, and she reaches out her hand and grabs his genitals, 12you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity. Leviticus 11 "All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you.21There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground.22Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper."
I take a look at the Ante-Nicene Church and their view on political involvement. A huge thanks to Seth White for the awesome music!Thanks to Palmtoptiger17 for the beautiful logo: https://www.instagram.com/palmtoptiger17/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thewayfourth/?modal=admin_todo_tourYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTd3KlRte86eG9U40ncZ4XA?view_as=subscriberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theway4th/ Kingdom Outpost: https://kingdomoutpost.org/My Reading List Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21940220.J_G_Elliot Thanks to our monthly supporters Laverne Miller Jesse Killion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In today's episode, we connect with Andrew of the Post-Apostolic Church to dive into the fascinating topic of Biblical history. Andrew has a YouTube channel devoted to exploring the study of the writings of the Christians from the pre-Nicene era. This period, which spans 250 years from A.D. 75 to A.D. 325, is a crucial contextual bridge between the Apostles and the Council of Nicea… Jump in to explore: Why Andrew felt led to share his knowledge with others. What changed in the church when Jesus's Apostle passed away. How teachings were passed on from previous generations of Christians. The developmental process of core beliefs. Which of the Apostles is written about in the most detail. What do these eight volumes of Christian writings tell us about the early church? How can we learn more about the past using a comprehensive commentary handed down from the Apostles? Hit play to find out for yourself! For more in-depth insights and discussions, you can follow Andrew's channel by clicking here. It's a great way to stay connected and continue your journey through early Christian history. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9
Mark: Short, condensed gospel; Gospel of the Kingdom; Corban of Herod; Leaven?; Preparing for famine; Bondage of Egypt; Flooding; Saving yourself?; Dead Sea Scrolls; Nicodemus; Trusting knowledge vs Holy Spirit; Christian persecution; Charity alone in Pure Religion; Taking care of parents; Mark 10:42 Explaining kingdom of God; Jews?; Christ as king; "Son of God"; Temples; Lying to Holy Spirit; Doctrine; "No king but Caesar; Charity only; Mark 11:1; Where two ways met; Mt 21:2; Proclaiming Christ as king; John 12:13; Plotting to kill Jesus; Baptism; Death of Liberty; Doctrines of men; Lack of hearing the Gospel; Bankrupt governments of men; Tables of the moneychangers; Violent Jesus?; Moneychangers = porters of the temple = gatekeepers; Nicene council; Constantine's doctrine new rules; Freewill sacrifice?; Public religion; Understanding the Gospel of the kingdom; "Tables" = "trapeza" = bank; who can fire moneychangers?; Bill Clinton's firing of Federal judges; Why Christ was crucified; "Vessel"; Denying benefits; "Den of thieves"; Social Security; "Eucharist" = Thanksgiving; Praying in faith; Wish fulfilment; Will of the father; Forgiveness of trespasses; Freedom requires coming together; Agreeing with Christ; His Holy Church; Counterfeit Holy Spirit; Christ's authority/liberty/right to choose; Righteous king of peace; "Melchizedek"; Humility; Repentance; Righteousness; Discerning poison; NOW is the time to start seeking His kingdom and righteousness.
In this episode of The Biblical Anarchy Podcast, host Jacob Winograd reflects on a previous episode in which he unintentionally misattributed a quote to Athanasius. He uses this mistake as an opportunity to delve deeper into the writings and theology of Athanasius, focusing on how his views align with Jacob's ongoing discussion of the New Covenant and the Messianic Kingdom. Athanasius, a key defender of Nicene theology, is portrayed as a fiery and passionate theologian, particularly in his works like On the Incarnation. Jacob highlights Athanasius' view that Christ's reign transcends the earthly kingship of Israel, emphasizing that Christ's kingdom is spiritual and eternal, fulfilling prophecies like Isaiah 9.Jacob spends much of the episode connecting Athanasius' theological insights to Old Testament prophecies and the new covenant, drawing comparisons between the reigns of Israel's kings and the superior, everlasting kingship of Christ. He encourages listeners to understand Christ's kingdom not as a physical or political entity but as a divine reign that brings peace and salvation to all nations. Jacob also invites his audience to reflect on how these theological truths shape our understanding of the gospel and Christian life, urging them to live out their faith as part of God's Kingdom.On the Incarnation by Athanasius: https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/athanasius/On%20the%20Incarnation%20-%20Athanasius.pdfThe Biblical Anarchy Podcast is part of the Christians For Liberty Network, a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute. Check out Jacob's other podcast at: daniel318.comAudio Production by Podsworth Media.
(7:03) Bible Study: Prv 30:5-9 When a society is rich it rejects God. Ps 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163 What does it mean to remove the falsehoods? Lk 9:1-6 What is the Kingdom of God? Father explains. (23:11) Break 1 (24:57) Letters: Father answers listeners' questions. (34:41) Break 2 (35:30) Word of the Day: Tested (39:24) Phones: John - While praying Nicene creed - when we say he descended into Hell and rose again - when did he rise the first time? why are we saying again? Rose - The mass on Radio - the phrase not worthy that you should enter under my roof makes sense if you are in person but not if you are just listening. Should we say something different if aren't actually receiving it? Richard - there are so many saints - isn't our lady enough? Why are there so many saint celebrations
Background The Nicene Creed, also called the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan Creed, is a statement of the orthodox faith of the early Christian church in opposition to certain heresies, especially Arianism. These heresies, which disturbed the church during the fourth century, concerned the doctrine of the trinity and of the person of Christ. Both the Greek (Eastern) and the Latin (Western) church held this creed in honor, though with one important difference: the Western church insisted on the inclusion of the phrase "and the Son" (known as the "filioque") in the article on the procession of the Holy Spirit; this phrase still is repudiated by the Eastern Orthodox church. In its present form this creed goes back partially to the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) with additions by the Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381). It was accepted in its present form at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, but the "filioque" phrase was not added until 589. However, the creed is in substance an accurate and majestic formulation of the Nicene faith. This translation of the Greek text was approved by the CRC Synod of 1988.
Today's question is about candidates, politics and voting. Does Pre-Nicene Christianity offer any guidance that we can apply to today's circumstances? THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS Page 89 https://www.theveryfirstbible.org/ The emperor's new senators by Christian Schaller https://www.blog.der-leiermann.com/en/the-emperors-new-senators/ Tacitus on the Transition from Augustus to Tiberius https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~wstevens/history331texts/augtotib.html Did America Have a Christian Founding? https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/did-america-have-christian-founding Pre-Nicene Christian Ecclesia https://pre-nicene.org/ Presbyter Chat on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@prenicenetv Marcionite Christian Church https://www.marcionitechurch.org/
Forerunners of the Faith Lesson 6
In this episode of the Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Kelly Dippolito discuss the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:3 and the role of women in the church. They explore the Wesleyan quadrilateral as a tool for studying scripture and the importance of tradition and theology. They also examine the passage's meaning of the term 'head' and its implications for hierarchical relationships. Dr. Cohick and Kelly highlight the complexity of the verse and the various interpretations, including the possibility that Paul is countering bad teaching by the Corinthians. They emphasize the need to understand the cultural and historical context of the passage and the importance of affirming the equal value and gifting of men and women in the church.Key Takeaways: The Wesleyan quadrilateral, which includes scripture, tradition, experience, and reason, can be a helpful tool for studying scripture and interpreting its meaning.Creeds, such as the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds, provide theological guidance and help us understand scripture.The term 'head' in 1 Corinthians 11:3 does not necessarily imply hierarchy but can have various meanings, such as source, preeminence, or representation.The interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:3 is complex, with different perspectives on its meaning. It is important to consider the passage's cultural and historical context. Women are made in the image and likeness of God and have equal value and gifting in the church. It is important to affirm and support women in their roles and contributions.Understanding the complexity of scripture and engaging in thoughtful interpretation can lead to a deeper understanding of God's word and a more inclusive and equitable church. Episode Resources: Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul's Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians by Dr. Lucy Peppiatt The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity Episode Sponsor: The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology. Learn more about The Center for Women in Leadership at https://www.leadershipwithoutapology.org/.
Tom Riello talked about Dave the theologian, who became an internet sensation by defending his Catholic faith in a grocery store. Jared Staudt discussed his article, "Why can't I find God?" Tom Riello returned on the 3rd segment to talk about the Southern Baptist Convention president's hesitancy to adopt the Nicene creed?
Forerunners of the Faith Lesson 4
Fr. Anthony Amato is the Pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Clifton Springs, New York. He was ordained as a priest in June of 2017 by Bishop Salvatore Matano of the Diocese of Rochester, New York. In Today's Show Why do we reference Pontius Pilate in the Nicene and Apostles Creed? Why is that so important? Finding sinful things on my husband's computer Why doesn't God just get rid of the devil? I am 16 and I have a girlfriend, me and her were taking a nap on the same bed but we were on opposite sides of the bed and my dad told me “Only husband and wife and sleep on the same bed”. Is he right? What is the Catholic Church's position about the Torah generally and the Sabbath specifically, in light of the fact that Jesus both kept the Torah and the Sabbath? Would changing the Nicene Creed to omit the Filioque be an indication of a doctrinal change since the creed has been upheld through councils and a summary of the important articles of faith? Will I receive the indulgences from the Feast of the Sacred Heart, if I watch the mass? Do you think it is wrong to believe that praying over food before a meal helps with weight loss and weight control? When I realized that if I go up to receive communion in the diocese I could be stepping on the fragments from the Eucharist, I couldn't in good conscience go up and receive anymore. I would really appreciate some guidance. I'm in a nonviolence group, some in the group think that the violence won't actually go away till Jesus comes back. Will that be the case, is there a place for nonviolence groups to help at least to mitigate the suffering in the world? Is it a sin to gamble if I have a set amount of money put aside for this purpose, and if so, is it a mortal or venial sin? Is it sinful to go to parties and nightclubs? I don't drink or do any drugs. I also never entertain any advances from the opposite sex. I'm not looking to have my behavior rationalized. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
Abstract: Nephi laboriously copied many of the words of Isaiah in hopes that his readers would rejoice in Christ. While Isaiah 4:1 (2 Nephi 14:1) is generally not viewed as Messianic, there may be an allegorical interpretation that would place this verse among Isaiah's other Messianic writings. A pre-Nicene patristic writer, Victorinus of Poetovio, interpreted […] The post The Seven Women Seeking the Bridegroom: Isaiah 4:1 as Transition Point in a Redemption Allegory first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
ePub feed of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Abstract: Nephi laboriously copied many of the words of Isaiah in hopes that his readers would rejoice in Christ. While Isaiah 4:1 (2 Nephi 14:1) is generally not viewed as Messianic, there may be an allegorical interpretation that would place this verse among Isaiah's other Messianic writings. A pre-Nicene patristic writer, Victorinus of Poetovio, interpreted […] The post The Seven Women Seeking the Bridegroom: Isaiah 4:1 as Transition Point in a Redemption Allegory first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
In which we finally cover the lasting Nicene controversy: the notorious filioque clause.
Acts 12:24—13:5a Where was the first chancery office? Jn 12:44-50 What's the main benefit to being a Christian? Letters Do we respond to the priest at mass when he says alleluia? Listener disagrees with Fr. Simon's take on altar servers Word of the Day: Synagogue Callers Why does Apostles Creed use ‘creator' and Nicene creed says ‘Maker' If Father wants beauty, maybe we should go back to the Tridentine Mass in English Our obsession with sciences one reason people leaving the Church. What was the reason that God would have Judas pick Jesus out of the crowd? Didn't people know who Jesus was? If someone is pregnant and the baby has issues, could the person be anointed for the baby? Are there more than two dogmas that have been declared infallible?
Full episode here! https://www.spreaker.com/episode/bg-s2-the-pre-nicene-rabbit-hole-pt-3-with-david-regier--59408439BG Cast Podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/show/bgcastForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.newsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.
Good news! Valens is no more and the Nicene-respecting Theodosius has ascended to the imperial purple. But before he can change history, he has to get from Spain to Constantinople - and there's a very angry Gothic army in his way.
Questions Covered: 02:02 – How do I defend the deuterocanonical books? 05:42 – I'm a convert and my husband is atheist. His main question: If God is good then how did he create suffering? 16:19 – If a man has a vasectomy and later repents and goes to confession. Are he and his wife required to abstain from relations indefinitely? 20:26 – If a priest blesses a cloud, will it rain holy water? 22:04 – Regarding the prophecy of Illumination of conscience at Garabandal. If it comes to pass, will the sins we confessed be washed away from our knowledge? 29:22 – What’s the difference between the deuterocanonical and the apocrypha, and how do we defend it? 32:20 – Was the Creed the only document that came out of the Nicene council? 36:12 – Is it immoral to eat more intelligent animals like dolphins and octopus? 37:57 – Is there a reason other than a mortal sin to go to confession? 41:36 – I’m a fertility care practitioner. I always advise couples who had vasectomies to not have relations during the woman’s fertile days. Is this morally acceptable to do? 47:59 – How does one receive communion in the Church if one is divorced but was never married in the Church? 51:48 – Could you help clarify CCC 1650? …
Mystical Theology: Introducing the Theology and Spiritual Life of the Orthodox Church
Series: Mystical Theology, Special EditionEpisode 3: “John Damascene: Christology”, Part 1Introducing the theology and spiritual life of the Orthodox Church, with particular reference to the Holy Bible and the witness of the Church Fathers, past and present.In “John Damascene: Christology”, Part 1, Episode 3 of our Special Editions, we begin our exploration of the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord, God and Saviour, through Book III of the Damascene's Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith. Based on the translation in to English by S.D.F. Salmond, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Christian Fathers, Series II, vol. ix (New York & Oxford, 1899), pp. 45–73, we shall also consult the Greek text for deeper insights. Some of the themes covered in this podcast are listed in the Timestamps below.Q&As related to Special Edition Episode 3 available in The Professor's Blog: https://mountthabor.com/blogs/the-professors-blogRecommended background reading: Christopher Veniamin, ed., Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (Dalton PA: 2022); The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation: "Theosis" in Scripture and Tradition (2016); The Transfiguration of Christ in Greek Patristic Literature: From Irenaeus of Lyons to Gregory Palamas (2022); and Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos, Empirical Dogmatics of the Orthodox Catholic Church: According to the Spoken Teaching of Father John Romanides, Vol. 1 (2012), Vol. 2 (repr. ed. 2020).The Happy Writer with Marissa MeyerAuthors, from debuts to bestsellers, chat about books, writing, publishing, and joy. Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the Show.Dr. Christopher VeniaminSupport The Mount Thabor Academyhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2232462/support THE MOUNT THABOR ACADEMYPrint Books by MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING The Professor's BlogeBooks Amazon Google Apple KoboB&NMembership OptionsJoin our Bookclub, Bible Study, John Damascene's Christology or Greek Philosophy here:Patreon for Membership TiersClick on the Join button below our YouTube videos, and become a Friend or Reader of The Mount Thabor Academy! Click here: YouTube Membership Level...
The historical narrative FINALLY gets moving as the plucky defenders of Nicea must deal with yet another anti-Nicene emperor. But will they be able to make any progress when they can't agree with each other? Tune in to find out!
David - How many creeds are there? I know about the apostle creed and the Nicene creed and what is the difference? (01:24) Do all priests need to be celibate and why? Gideon (16-years-old) - I called in a little bit ago regarding a speech. You helped me out a lot. Thank you for your help. Email – Is it ethical to become pregnant using someone else's fertilized embryo so the embryo isn't destroyed? (13:20) Maureen - I was in a relationship with a man. We fornicated and I am concerned about my soul. What should I do? William – What is the best way to talk about Saint Anthony of Padua to help inspire others? Emily - My mom is on hospice and one of her care givers is stealing medical supplies from the house. What should I do? Joanne - What do you think of a parent taking a 13-year-old to a bingo night with a drag queen as the MC? David - Can you get baptized in the Catholic church if you are married outside of the Church?
Guest Bios Show Transcript America is experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in its history—greater than the First and the Second Great Awakening and every revival in the U.S. combined. But instead of a massive shift into the church, what we're seeing is a mass exodus. In this edition of The Roys Report, you'll hear from Michael Graham, co-author of The Great DeChurching: Who's Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back. Based on the most comprehensive study of people leaving the church in America, the book gives keen insights into this phenomenon. You'll learn why people are leaving the church, which demographic groups are leaving in the greatest numbers, and what can be done to stop the bleed. And the results may surprise followers of this podcast. Though much of our reporting focuses on corruption and abuse in the church, these issues were not the greatest factors people cited for leaving. The reasons cited were much more mundane than you might think. We are living in a unique moment—what research says is the greatest “dechurching” in nearly 250 years of this nation. This exodus doesn't just affect society or public expressions of faith; it impacts family relationships and how people relate to each other. Tune in for a highly informative conversation that examines the state of the church and why restoring her matters. Guests Michael Graham Michael Graham is program director for The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. He is also the executive producer and writer of As In Heaven and co-author of The Great Dechurching. He received his MDiv at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He is a member at Orlando Grace Church. He is married to Sara, and they have two kids Show Transcript SPEAKERSMICHAEL GRAHAM, Julie Roys Julie Roys 00:04America is experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in its history greater than the first and the second Great Awakening and every revival in the US combined. But instead of a massive shift into the church, what we’re seeing is a mass exodus, and the greatest de churching in nearly 250 years. Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys, and on this podcast you’ll hear from Michael Grant, co- author of the new book The Great Dechurching. Based on the most comprehensive study of people leaving the church in America, the book gives keen insights into this phenomenon. You’ll learn why people are leaving the church, which demographics are leaving in the greatest numbers, and what can be done to stop the bleed. And the results may surprise followers of this podcast. Though much of our reporting focuses on corruption and abuse in the church, these issues were not the greatest factors people cited for leaving. The reasons were much more mundane than you might think. And we’ll dig into those in just a minute. Julie Roys 01:05 But first, I’d like to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. If you’re looking for a top-ranked Christian University, providing a caring community and an excellent college experience, Judson University is for you. Judson is located on 90 acres, just 40 miles west of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois. The school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities and strong financial aid. Plus, you can take classes online as well as in person. Judson University is shaping lives that shaped the world. For more information, just go to JUDSONU.EDU. Also, if you’re looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity, and transparency. That’s because the owners there Dan and Kurt Marquardt are men of integrity. To check them out just go to BUYACAR123.COM. Julie Roys 02:09 Well, again, joining me is Michael Grant, Program Director at the Keller Center for Cultural apologetics. He’s also the executive producer and writer for the As In Heaven podcast. And he’s also a member at Orlando Grace Church where Jim Davis, who’s the co-author for his latest book, The Great Dechurching. He is also a teaching pastor. So, Michael, welcome. It’s a pleasure to have you join me. MICHAEL GRAHAM 02:31 So good to be here with you, Julie. Julie Roys 02:32 So, Michael, your book is based on an extensive study that sought to prove or disprove this thesis that America’s in the middle of the largest and greatest religious shift in its history. And what you discovered is pretty sobering. Would you tell me about that? MICHAEL GRAHAM 02:47 Yeah. So, I mean, the Cliff’s Notes version is that 40 million adult Americans have left houses of worship, across all religious traditions. And by and large, almost all of that has occurred in the last 30 years. So, from the moment of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit to today, 40 million people have gone from, you know, the various pews of all religious traditions. Now, most of those are out of what you’d call Christian traditions, about 15 million of that out of evangelical traditions, and then about another 20 million out of Roman Catholic and mainline traditions, the other traditions are a lot smaller. So, we weren’t really sure what we would be looking at in terms of why there were two prevailing storylines, depending on what your kind of media diet looked like. If your media diet looked a little bit left leaning, then the story was basically that people had been leaving houses of worship primarily because of mistakes made by those institutions themselves. So, this would be things like racism, misogyny, abuse, political syncretism, clergy scandal. If your media diet leaned a little bit to the right, the prevailing story was basically a story of secularism, or sexual revolution, progressivism, people are leaving houses of worship, because they’re no longer worshipping the Triune God, they’re worshipping some other, you know, forms of non-Christian things. The reality is that you can find several million people who would fit both that first story or that second story. However, most of the people might have elements of either of those two stories in there, but most of them left for really, really boring reasons. So, the challenge is like not necessarily saying that story A or story B is wrong. There’s actually a story C that is not as interesting. That’s also there and is kind of the water that we’re all kind of in is the number one reason why people you know, left houses of worship, and stop going on at least a monthly basis. So that’s how we defined the charging somebody who used to go to church, or house of worship at least monthly, consistently, and now less than once per year. So even if you go to church on Christmas Eve, or Christmas, or Easter or Christmas and Easter, we still counted you in our study as being churched. So, if you think the 40 million number sounds scary, you know, if you take all the Christmas and Easter people out. Julie Roys 05:32 That is like a really, really low bar. MICHAEL GRAHAM 05:35 There’s many, many more people. But basically, the number one reason I moved, right after that is, attendance was inconvenient. After that is some kind of marriage, divorce, new child, or some other significant family change. After you kind of get past some of those reasons, you start to get into some of the reasons where people experience some more pain or some more friction, either at the individual level, or at the institutional level. But it really kind of looks like of the 40 million people who left, 30 million left, what we called casually, and about 10 million left as casualties. And so, 10 million people is a lot of people, okay, I don’t want to downplay at all the people who have significant church hurt at the individual, institutional or both levels. But there’s also just kind of 30 million people where it just kind of looks like, okay, well, just the inertia of American life and their rhythms and habits just kind of had them floating on. MICHAEL GRAHAM 06:45 Now, the interesting thing about really, across the board, both the people who left casually and unintentionally, as well as the people who left as casualties and left highly intentionally, most of them are willing to return today to a house of worship of some sort. Some of them were willing to go back to exactly what they left and some of them are not willing to go back to exactly what they left, but willing to go to something that we would all consider as being part of the historic Christian tradition. Julie Roys 07:18 Yeah, I was surprised when I read it, how many people just dropped out because well, even COVID. Like, they just got out of the habit. And I guess we’re seeing that. I mean, I know that’s a phenomenon. But it’s stunning in some ways that something that you would expect to be so central to a person’s life, that they would give it up just because it’s inconvenient, or they get out of the habit of going. And yet, maybe that speaks to where the spiritual state before that happened. But that was surprising, I thought finding of the study. Julie Roys 07:48 I thought too just thinking through what’s at stake, which you do kind of in that first section relationally, what’s happening, you know, between parents and their kids, and you had this one line which struck me because I’m over 50. And it says, anecdotally, we know, of almost no parents over the age of 50, who don’t have at least one child who is dechurched. And I’ve got three kids. I guess I read that, and I just was very grateful, because none of my kids are dechurched. But I mean, certainly, wow, we felt like we have been in a war for their soul at different times within their lives. And just, by the grace of God, I think, have seen them embrace faith. But there are a lot of things in here that remind me of the situation that we’re in. I mean, this between parents and their children. And of course, I have so many friends, I mean, that are just beautiful parents and probably did a 10 times better job than I did. And they’re dealing with just such heartache over their kids leaving their faith leaving the church. But even you know, it’s culturally how fractured we are mentally. I mean, talk about some of these impacts on who we are as communities and as Americans that are really going to be impacted as we see this begin to play out. MICHAEL GRAHAM 09:15 Let’s start at the purely secular level. Why would I care about this if even I was an atheist or agnostic or a nothing in particular? The first thing I would say is you should care about this phenomenon, because it’s going to at least sociologically reorder many aspects of American culture and society. How many different trends can you think about that impact one in six adult Americans? There aren’t many. And so, the implications of this will have implications in terms of politics and political voting groups. It will have an impact on the social safety net in our country. There are certain studies that have shown that as much as 40% of America’s social safety net, the social safety net being the kinds of things that are there for people, when they’re, at their hardest or most challenging moments, that 40% of the social safety net in this country is basically coming from religious nonprofits. And so, when you see one in six adult Americans, you know, opt out of those kinds of ties, thicker ties, and local ties to local religious institutions, that’s going to have an impact for sure, on the social safety net. And I don’t think that that’s in the interest of either common good or human flourishing. MICHAEL GRAHAM 10:41 We estimate in the book that that’s probably about $25 billion that just exited out of the religious nonprofit world. I mean, you’re talking about $1.4 trillion dollars, in terms of the total income of the people who have disconnected from local churches. A lot of implications for institutions, certainly, you’re going to see churches and houses of worship that are going to struggle, perhaps even close. You’ll have others where the trend of decline will continue. And that will put additional strain on those institutions. There will probably be consolidation that takes place that’s there. But if you’re listening to this, and maybe you yourself are dechurched, is it’s like, what, I miss you, okay? Because I go to church, and if you’re not there, I’m worse off because of your absence. At the local church level, it’s like, well, dechurching is impoverishing our churches, because you have all these people who are amazing image bearers, and then who liked I want to know, and love and experience. And I think about like the 59 one another's in the New Testament. At least over half of those require, we have to be embodied in order to even get to do those things. And so, I’m just worse off when there’s people who aren’t there anymore, and they’re missed. And so, and then zooming all the way down to, like, the familial level, there’s tremendous pain and hurt there. We’re not talking about just a number on a spreadsheet, you’re talking about real people’s lives, and real things in their story, and real pains, and real hard sometimes. Sometimes for very good reasons people disconnect themselves from these things. Anybody familiar with you and your ministry, knows these stories, and they know them well.. And so, I think on that front, there’s just tremendous things at stake. What’s the Thanksgiving or the Christmas dinner table look like? And what pieces of sadness are there?, or these places where people land different from their family members in terms of how they process really big conversations. Those can be really hard and lonely and isolating things when you find yourself in a very different place. MICHAEL GRAHAM 13:25 But you know, one of the things that we advocate in the book is a posture of quiet, calm curiosity for everybody. You can only find yourself in that, in that place of being quiet, calm, and curious with other people, when you have a sense of security in yourself. And I think that security is best found when we’re confident in our identity as image bearers made in the image of God, redeemed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and confident of our future, our eschatological future in the kingdom of God. And so, when we have that, that gives us the freedom to not feel like we need to be defensive, we can just listen to other people and hear what they have to say and believe people when they’re telling us about the wins and losses, particularly the wins and losses and their experiences with people who claim Christ or institutions that claim to be Christian. And so, I think there’s a lot of implications for these things. There’s just a lot that’s at stake. I think that there’s much work to be done, both on the individual front, and there’s a lot of work to be done on the institutional front. Julie Roys 14:43 How we lead as institutions, I think, is probably an area that energizes me because I have found so much dysfunction within those institutions. And I did like that you said, we don’t have to go back to the church we left and I’m in a house church now, I love it. And I find myself questioning a lot of the stuff that I just took on face value. I was having discussion recently, I’m like, I don’t know, like preaching is that really the best way for us to study the Bible? We get together and we open the Bible, and we study it together. And I found that incredibly rich, richer than a lot of times when I have somebody giving me basically a lecture for 30 or 40 minutes on their opinion of what it says. And I find it just much richer to go right in and dig in ourselves. So, I find myself at least among the people that I’m in contact with, are all asking these questions. What is it really have to offer look like? I am just in contact with so many people where it hasn’t felt safe. And so, I just have such a degree of empathy for those who have trouble and I say, even my own children, I watched them try to find a church. And it is unbelievably hard, unbelievably, and that just breaks my heart because I feel like so many of the vibrant churches that I knew when I was their age, don’t exist anymore, or they’ve been just the ministries that I think of that were so vibrant on campuses, and so forth just aren’t there. And so, we do have an unbelievable amount of work to do. And I thought it was interesting, you also found, like, when we’re talking about leaving the church, like, who’s dechurching?, this isn’t any particular group. This like everybody across the board, right? MICHAEL GRAHAM 16:27 It’s unilateral across the board,. In certain places, it’s maybe a little bit more prominent or pronounced than others. And the timing of which various different groupings may have kind of floated on looks different. But by and large, yeah there’s no group that’s immune. Julie Roys 16:48 Well, let’s dig into some of the groups because that’s what I do find really fascinating, but also, I think, really educational, because if we’re going to be relating to these folks in hopefully a winsome way, it’s helpful to know who they are. And I think there are some misconceptions of who they are. So, you basically found there’s five groups of dechurched individuals, cultural Christians, dechurched mainstream evangelicalism, exvangelicals, dechurched, BIPOC. So Black, Indigenous and People of Color, and dechurched mainline Protestants. Let’s dig into each one of those groups. Let’s start with the cultural Christians who, I’m guessing these are the people that grew up went to church on Christmas and Easter, and maybe a few times in between, but basically a little bit of church background, but not really a saving faith, probably. MICHAEL GRAHAM 17:46 Yeah, so every one of those groups we mentioned had one thing in common, they all went to a house of worship, at least consistently on a monthly basis, but now less than once per year. So, the culture in terms of size, the 15 million people who left evangelical traditions, and that’s the first four profiles that you just read off: cultural Christians, dechurched mainstream evangelicals, exvangelical, and then the BIPOC dechurched. The cultural Christians are about eight of those 15 million people. And then the next three groups are between two and two and a half million each. So, the cultural Christians, they look like people who are upwardly mobile, who did not have a deep understanding of the gospel, or the Bible, and the inertia of just their rhythms and habits basically has them out of the habit of going to church anymore. They’ve been gone from church for about 12 years now. They’re in their early 40s, on average. They’re overwhelmingly white, 98% white, and they’re doing well from an education and income standpoint. Interestingly enough, about half of them are willing to return to an evangelical church today. The top reasons why they left attendance was inconvenient, their friends weren’t worshiping at church anymore, they moved. More casual reasons than casualty and painful and the reasons why they said that they wouldn’t be willing to return were largely things that were relational in nature; new friends, lonely and want to make new friends, they miss church, a friend invites them, a spouse wants to go, they move and want to make new friends in a good community. So those were the reasons why about 4 million of them were willing to return to an evangelical church right now. Julie Roys 19:36 Throughout these profiles, you often talk about their relationship to their parents, because again, they were brought up a certain way and obviously they’re doing life differently now than their parents did. And there were a couple things with their parents, one turned off by their parents commitment to culture wars and refusal to listen. And then the second one, they’re not seeing the fruit of the Spirit in their parents. It’s tough to hear that. I think it’s a reminder that you know, as parents wow, I mean, what a responsibility. I’m curious if those relationships, and I don’t know how much you dug into it, but do they just remain fractured? MICHAEL GRAHAM 20:21 We don’t know yet. The hard scientist in me would say we need to ask the same people the same question years later. And to drill down to get at the heart of those things. Probably in the three-to-five-year timeframe, we want to ask a lot of the same questions and see what looks similar, see what looks different. The stuff with the parents is really hard. And it’s challenging, and it’s sad. I don’t know if it’s necessarily surprising. Obviously, for most of us, that’s one of the most formative relationships, if not the most formative relationship, at least in certain times of our life. And so, I think, also the last decade, in American public life, and I think particularly with the advent of social media, and the ways in which social media, you know, you have the like button, I think that was introduced, I want to say in 2009. Every platform has their dopamine-inducing reward structure for creating content that some people find interesting. The challenging thing about all of that is now, when you have a reward mechanism built into social platforms, people are more self-revelatory than what they would have been before. And so, I think, in terms of public communication and discourse, there is the freedom for people to communicate more about their perspectives than probably what there was before this dynamic of American public life existed. And so, I don’t think that’s necessarily all good or all bad. It’s just, there are implications that are downstream from that. And now, it’s where everybody is at, is far more clear than what it was 10 plus years ago. And there’s going to be implications from that, particularly as people have divergent perspectives, and sometimes strongly divergent perspectives. And again, all of these things are algorithmically incentivized. And in some ways, the stronger you feel about those things, sometimes that reward mechanism rewards you even further. And so, I think over time, there aren’t many impulses that are there baked into these things that create people finding as much common ground. And oftentimes, our digital interactions become power over persuasion. MICHAEL GRAHAM 22:56 And so those are challenging dynamics. And what do you do if your parents are behaving poorly on the internet, and are getting cheered on from those things? You can flip that script in the other way, as well. So those things are going to have implications at the dinner table. And I’m sure that many people have experienced some challenges during looking back at their Thanksgiving and their Christmas. And I think that some of these things are just downstream from these particular dynamics of how technology has inserted itself into our lives and revealed things about people that we loved that have maybe changed our perspectives about how we view them and have altered maybe the amount of relational intimacy that we feel comfortable with. Those are hard and sad things. Julie Roys 23:44 And one thing I found really interesting about this group, I mean, obviously, there’s the family fracture, well, that’s going to leave you more lonely, maybe depressed. But then there’s the relational fracture, like most of us, I mean, I know for me, my closest friends are my church friends, right? And without that community people are, and you even found, like more depressed, higher anxiety, I mean, all those things. And so, the reverse then, is that, and we often think, how do we invite people back to the church?, and I thought it was insightful that you’re like, these people need a dinner-table invite. In other words, they’re looking for a relationship, right? That’s most likely what’s going to bring them back to the church. MICHAEL GRAHAM 24:26 What we talked about in the book is there’s three levels of relationship that different broadly speaking profiles probably need. The second profile that you’ve mentioned, the dechurched mainstream evangelicals, these folks left on average about three or four years ago. They’re about the same age as that first group, early 40s. But this group is whereas the cultural Christians only 1% of them said that Jesus is the Son of God, 98% of this second group said Jesus is the Son of God.. These people have a very deep understanding of the Gospel, the Bible, and the kinds of things that you want to see from Nicene-creed level of Christianity. And 100% of that group are willing to return to an evangelical church today. MICHAEL GRAHAM 25:08 And so, the three levels of kind of relational need that’s there, that group really they just need a nudge. A nudge is something like a text, a phone call a water cooler moment, talking out on the porch, or in the cul de sac, hey, I got this really cool thing going on at church, or I’m speaking up this thing, or I think you’d really like our pastor, would you be willing to come to church with me? Let’s go grab lunch after at such and such place, that’s a nudge. I think when there is more pain, or church hurt, or these different kinds of things. And this should be obvious, when you think about it, it’s just people need the kind of intimacy that occurs around breaking bread together in a home at the dinner table. Literally, or figuratively and metaphorically, I think that when people need to be able to have an avenue, when there’s either interpersonal or institutional or both friction, then they need to be able to have a place that is where they can experience somebody who’s going to be willing to quietly, calmly and with curiosity, engage them in their story in a way that they would want to be treated. So, we have a third category of people who are just, they’re probably just never going to return to a house of worship. Julie Roys 26:26 The exvangelicals. No? MICHAEL GRAHAM 26:28 The exvangelicals are done with the evangelical expression of the faith. Okay. 79% of them were willing to return to some form of Christian tradition. That was something that was very surprising. Julie Roys 26:44 So just 100%, they will not go back to the church they came from, which may be a good thing, in a lot of ways. MICHAEL GRAHAM 26:51 Well, I mean, certainly there are many different institutions I could think of where it would be very unhealthy to return to. So, and that’s the good news about all of this stuff, you don’t have to return to what you left if there was something unhealthy. I always think about these things in terms of truth, goodness, and beauty. Well, what’s a healthy church? Where you can see the truth of the gospel, the goodness of the gospel, and the beauty of the gospel, all in the same place. Julie Roys 27:21 The exvangelicals, I just want to camp there just a little bit, because these are folks that I mean, honestly, I have a lot of empathy for and understanding. I mean, they’ve been through some things that were pretty toxic in the church. In fact, you found they scored 74% higher on experiencing a lack of love from their congregation than the other four groups combined. And that’s heartbreaking, like the place where you should most experience love, they experience a complete lack of love. And I’d be curious how many of them come from a fundamentalist background as well because I mean, there just seems to be a correlation there between just a rigid adherence to rules and so forth, and even the culture wars and all of that, and just a lack of caring for the soul and caring for the human being, whether they agree with you or not. But these folks, where they look for answers; talk about that a little bit. MICHAEL GRAHAM 28:26 We ended up calling this group exvangelicals because none of them are willing to return to an evangelical church. But what was really surprising was that 79% of them said that Jesus is the Son of God, and they had the second highest view of the Bible, as well as Nicene Creed-level Christianity. And so that would be things like the Trinity, the seamlessness of Jesus, these kinds of things. But what was interesting is this group was overwhelmingly female, two thirds female. And they were middle aged, average age 53. And they left a little bit after 9/11, on average, in terms of the bell curve. And what does seem to be occurring there is they had the lowest income and the lowest education of any of the groups, and their relationship towards institutions in general, was very strained. And so that was really interesting to see. It’s not just that the church isn’t working for this particular group, particularly the evangelical church. But American institutions in general aren’t working well for this group. Much lower rates of marriage, much higher rates of divorce, the rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts were also elevated across the board, but particularly suicidal thoughts were very bad. I think I made a note of this in the book, describe how you’re doing with respect to suicidal thoughts. And we’re basically 100 is I have no suicidal thoughts; everything is rainbows and Skittles. And where zero is deeply, deeply struggling with suicidal thoughts, the average score among this group of people, the exvangelical group, was 16. I just started crying, these are real people. And there’s several thousand people that we surveyed here. Are some of these people no longer with us?, is some of these people? So, I don’t know, given the number of people we surveyed probably. So, I’m looking at that., and it just can’t not impact you at a deep level, when you have any measure of empathy to think, oh, my gosh, these are image bearers. And this is a group of people that are clearly there’s a lot of pain that’s here. And there’s a lot of things that just aren’t working. And I don’t know how many institutions there are, depending on where you’re located, and how many options you have. I think many people might have to go a long distance to find a place where they’d find a church that would have that kind of empathy and understanding, given whatever is there in the story. Julie Roys 31:07 Well, it becomes almost cyclical, because if you’re divorced, I mean, I hear this from so many of my divorced friends, that you go into a church and you feel judged right away, or you feel like you don’t fit in, and so it can become very self-perpetuating, makes it very hard to go to any place. So, wow, let’s move to the dechurched/BIPOC because this one was surprising to me, too. I was not expecting the profile that you found of this group. So, describe the black indigenous persons of color who have dropped out of their church. What kind of person are we talking about here? MICHAEL GRAHAM 31:43 Yeah, so this group was fascinating too. Over two thirds of this group was male. Yeah. And the average age there was early 50s. And this group on average left in the late 1990s. Okay. Now, something that’s really fascinating, when the machine learning algorithm that we used to sort the dataset into these different profiles, we didn’t let it see ethnicity or race in the dataset, and sort based on that. Now, what’s interesting, though, is that you have profiles like cultural Christians that are 98% white, and you have profiles like this one that are 0% white. And note, so while race is a biological fiction, it is a sociological reality. And so, you can see that race and ethnicity has a significant impact in terms of the ways that you’re experiencing America and American institutions, and it has an influence on those things. So that was interesting. Another thing that was interesting was that this group, and you’re talking two to two and a half million people, had the highest income and the highest education of any of the different groups. Now, bear in mind, this is a group of people who aren’t white, who probably largely willfully chose to connect themselves to evangelical institutions, which we all know trend from a sociological and demographic standpoint, most evangelical churches trend in the Anglo direction of things. And so, it wouldn’t be wise to take the particular perspectives of this particular group and assume that everybody who’s BIPOC in America would share the same perspectives: very high incomes, very high education, head and shoulders above any of the other groups. And the cultural Christians are the next to that. And the BIPOC groups just stands head and shoulders above them. Julie Roys 33:39 So, this is a group that generally, I mean, those that have dropped out, at least the profile you gave was of somebody who’s BIPOC that lives in a pretty white space. And so, I mean, I’m looking at that thinking, Is it easier to disconnect from that church community? Because the black church is such a cohesive community that, I mean, almost, it’s so strong in the community. I think it is even stronger than most white churches. Is it easier to disconnect from church once you kind of moved out of that space? And then you’re in really, almost an alien space in some ways. MICHAEL GRAHAM 34:26 Yeah. In terms of black Protestantism, the black churches in American US history, have played more of a role in the local community life than say their predominantly Anglo counterparts. And I think a lot of that has to do with the amount of pressure that was placed on those communities over time. The BIPOC group was 76% African American and 13% Latino. So, when you combine the predominantly male with predominantly African American means over half of this group was extremely upwardly mobile black men. So, you’re talking to at least a million black men of the 15 million people who left evangelical churches. The most pain in church hurt comes from the exvangelical group and the BIPOC group. By far, the exvangelical group, they’re all the church casualties. The BIPOC group is a mixture of casual and casualty. The dechurched, mainstream evangelicals are all casual. And then most of the cultural Christians you’d characterize as casual. Julie Roys 35:35 The last group we don’t have much time to spend on because I do want to talk a little bit about some of the messages and the things that we need to say to all five of these groups. But the dechurched, mainline Protestants and Catholics, not a lot of surprises there I thought. That they’re really concerned about the church doing some good when maybe the church they grew up in and I know the profile, you get profiles for all these different groups, but the profile was a man who grew up Catholic and the clergy sex scandal just rocked his world because it impacted his brother. And those people are kind of done with church if it doesn’t make a difference in a positive way for the community, right? MICHAEL GRAHAM 36:16 Yeah. And in the dechurching that occurred among mainline and Roman Catholic occurred earlier than the dechurching that we’re seeing among evangelicals. Dechurching among mainline Protestants is more starting in the mid-80s. and extending into the late 90s. And then you can kind of shift that up about five years, for those who are leaving Roman Catholicism from the early 90s to like early aughts. And then you know, dechurching among evangelicals kind of looks like the Apple stock chart, just a little bit later, going hockey stick. Julie Roys 36:54 Yeah. Well, the last segment of your book does talk about those who had dechurched from evangelical churches, how we might be able to bring them back. And, you know, I really appreciated that you talked about not just beliefs, because that’s what we hear so much about. In fact, when you were talking in the beginning you’re saying, you know, we think of people who don’t believe in the Bible anymore, don’t believe in God. And that’s not what we’re finding, by and large with a lot of these groups. But where we’re not looking is the sense of belonging and the behavior. So, would you talk just a little bit about that? and why this is important? MICHAEL GRAHAM 37:30 Yeah. In sociology of religion, Jim and I learned from our conversations with Ryan, that they have these three categories of belief, behavior and belonging. I think in the 20th century, most of the ways in which we communicated the gospel to people was belief centric. And when you look at like, apologetic literature from that century, most of it is focusing on, oh, the claims of the Bible, or the claims of Jesus, or the Gospels are true. And it’s okay, that’s good. But I think the kinds of questions that we’ve seen more frequently, in the last decade or two, have been questions about whether is Jesus good? Or Is he beautiful? And what does that mean for me in terms of how I relate to other people and to community? And so those are more of belonging-type questions than truth questions. And so, I think that it is important for us that we be building healthier institutions. And like I said before, we want to have churches that emphasize the truth of the gospel, the goodness of the gospel, and the beauty of the gospel. Is the Jesus way a path towards to human flourishing to me?, will I find people who treat me with the fruit of the Spirit, with love, joy, patience, peace, all of these kinds of things? The good news about all of that is those are things that are within our control. We can walk and keep in step with the Spirit. And we can bring the kinds of change needed at the institutional level, to try to really bring our churches in line and instep with the Holy Spirit and inline and in step with what God has revealed in his word. And as we do those things, we can be building beautiful places for people. Will those things ever be perfect or whatever? No. But I think that impulse to be always reforming. It needs to be there. And we need to be willing to have hard conversations with ourselves calmly. But we need to be willing to hold up mirrors to ourselves and ask ourselves, How can we do better? Julie Roys 39:48 A question that you asked in the book that I think is powerful, is does your church operate more like an event or a family? And I have found it just in so many churches, it is an event where you can come, and you can go, and nobody even knows you. And it’s no wonder if that’s what people think of the church that they’re leaving. So, if there’s not that family component, yeah, they’re just not going to stay. I think it was interesting, too, that you found that online church is basically a back door. Like people might go there for a while. But if they’re not connecting relationally, which how can you, you're a virtual church?, they ended up leaving, and I thought, on the behavior side, where you talked about that the church talk about hypocrisy, if they don’t see our beliefs and our actions lining up, they’re not going to stay. And so, we can only touch the surface, really, in a podcast, but the book, I would just highly, highly recommend. There’s so many good things in there, I think, instructive for us, and how we can do better how we can reach out, but how we need to be something different, I think, before we can even invite people to what we have, because if we’re not really functioning healthy as a church, then we can’t invite people to it. But before you go, I just want to give you an opportunity to any last thoughts that you’d like to say, to those, and especially those right now who are listening, who, they’re still dechurched, they’ve had it. MICHAEL GRAHAM 41:21 What I want to say is that, regardless of how people, humans, and human institutions have hurt and harmed or failed you, I have never been hurt or harmed by Jesus. And I continue to fall more in love with just the goodness of his gospel. And look, I’ve been before, in my current role I’ve been a pastor for some 15 years. And I should probably be dechurched based on the things that I’ve seen over the years. There’s nothing that’s in the book, aside from the parental pain, I don’t have that there. But pretty much any other category that you can talk about, I’ve seen it, and I should be at risk. But I just know at the end of the day, if anybody else had the words of life, I would go and I would go there, but nobody else has the words of life but Christ, and he has died for his church. Is she a mess? Yeah. Is some of her parts way more messed up than others? Yes. Some to a fatal extent? Yes. Should there be some institutions that don’t exist? Yes. However, and sometimes for certain people, it’s going to be more proximate than others. But there are still good places where you can find that, where the body of Christ functions like a family. So, I’d encourage you to go back to God’s Word and look at all those one another's that are there in the text and find a place where you see those one another’s embodied, and where you can see that the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel all in one place. There’s just such tremendous hope in Jesus. It is the treasure in a field that is worth selling, metaphorically speaking, all that you have to go and pursue. Only Christ as the words of life. And only in Him can we find redemption, and the hope of a future where re-creation is happening, and redemption is happening as far as the curse is found. Julie Roys 43:46 So good. And I think what we’re finding is that people are open to Jesus. It’s just the church. So, I do pray. I know for me; I feel just extraordinarily grateful that I found a body of believers and it’s been a lifeline for me. So, I just pray for that for other people. But I thank you, Michael, for helping us understand these different groups of people and also understanding what maybe we’re doing wrong that we can fix. Appreciate that, love your book. So, thank you again, so much for taking the time. MICHAEL GRAHAM 44:17 Thank you, Julie. Appreciate it. Julie Roys 44:19 And thanks so much for listening to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And just a quick reminder, if you’d like a copy of Michael’s book, The Great Dechurching, we’d be happy to send you one for gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month. Again, we don’t have any large donors or advertising we simply have you the people who care about reporting the truth and restoring the church. So, if you’d like to support our work and get The Great Dechurching, just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to The Roys Report on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify. That way you’ll never miss an episode. And while you’re at it, I’d really appreciate it if you’d help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks for joining me today. Hope you are blessed and encouraged. Read more
Are angels or humans higher in the order of creation? Join us as we uncover the significance of God's decision to become human and the honor bestowed upon humanity. Laurie - My daughter goes to Catholic School and is in 6th grade. A friend of hers who is in Catholic school but not Catholic receives communion. What should we do? Cairo (7-years-old) - I struggle to focus at Mass. It is hard for me to see the priest because everyone is taller than me. What should I do? (12:42) Erica - What do you think of the words “ask and you shall receive and seek and you shall find”? Phil - Who are higher in creation, angels or humans? (21:19) Dan – Why do we need two Creeds (Apostle and Nicene)? Why did some words change in the Nicene Creed? Frank - My wife recently passed away. If there is no marriage in heaven, what will it be like when we meet in heaven? Caesar - What does it take to have a class 2 relic? Mike - A Baptist friend wants to go to daily Mass with me. How can I not overwhelm him when we talk about the Catholic Church?
Questions Covered: 05:10 – “Catholics, could you give me an example of taking veneration too far, improperly worshiping a saint?” 09:52 – Paul says that a bishop should be “husband of one wife.” Does this argue against priestly celibacy? 14:52 – Do you think that a near-perfect image of the Trinity is found in human beings as mind-body-soul composites? 18:03 – Could you expound on Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 119:5? 37:30 – Is it wrong to go to confession if you are not a Catholic? 47:46 – My friend is Catholic but married a Muslim and converted to Islam, will she still go to heaven? 51:29 – Is there a good commentary on the Nicene creed? 52:48 – What are Joe's thoughts on the visions/prophecies of Fatima? …
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